‘Course he isn’t safe. But he’s good.

And Paul went in to the synagogue of the Jews, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” Acts 17:2-3

So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, ‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you. The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, nor is He served by human hands, as though He needed anything, since He himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. And He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find Him. Yet He is actually not far from each one of us, for “‘In him we live and move and have our being’ (Epimenides of Crete) as even some of your own poets have said, “‘For we are indeed his offspring.’ (Aratus's poem “Phainomena”) Acts 17:22-28

“Be still, then, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.”  Psalm 46:11 

Aslan is on the move.

On one hand, it is absolutely crazy for me to pick up the now-tiny-thin local newspaper tossed in the front yard gravel every morning.  Huge knots start twisting in my gut as I scan through the worldwide happenings, whether it be the rainstorms in India and the droughts in northern Africa, or the corrupt powers across the spectrum: Turkey, Brazil, Iraq, Texas.  In pursuit of happiness, Phil Drysdale stopped reading this sort of stuff six years ago, and hasn’t missed a blink. http://www.phildrysdale.com/2013/06/21-practical-steps-to-greater-happiness/

On the other hand, reaching down each morning has also become a daily act of worship. The dip down is an act of submission. Be still, then, l and know that I am God.

The redemptive God is at work.  He who made every nation of mankind has determined that they should seek Him and His provision, first the Jews and then the Gentiles, And He is not far off from each one of us.

I got to the respite care place pretty early this morning.  And it was hard to imagine that daddy was squeezing my hand in greeting, although that is what I was pretending.  But, since the last sense to close down shop is that of hearing, I reached for the Bible waiting next to his bed and read psalm after psalm out loud.  Not knowing what else to do in the darkened room, silent except for his raspy breaths. 

Whatever the LORD pleases, He does,

in heaven and on earth,

in the seas and all deeps. Psalm 135:6

Amen.